This might be an elementary question but i still not sure about its answer.

I am simulating a flame-vortex interaction in a premixed swirl stabilized combustor. Basically, i try to evaluate the effect of vortex shedding on the flame using fluent.
I would like to use DES in my simulation.
Due to the enormous computational cost i only considered quarter section of the combustor while applying rotational periodic boundary conditions in the span-wise direction.
My question is, am i ok with applying the periodic boundary conditions while using DES or i shall consider the complete combustor knowing that the geometry is symmetrical and the flow enters the domain perfectly premixed.

The use of periodicity will limit/constraint the spanwise vortices frequency that can be captured by the simulation. Although it might be acceptable in some cases, I would not recommend it.

From a practical perspective, my suggestion would be to compare a simulation with a complete combustor and a simulation with rotational periodic boundary conditions (it could be half, quarter, or third) and assess the impact of the periodicity assumptions.

Thanks guys, but i have a question for you julien, the problem of mine is to capture the longitudinal instability frequency due to flame vortex interaction as a result of vortex shedding to the flame. this frequency is equal to the acoustic quarter wave mode of the combustor. so i am interested only in the longitudinal frequency of vortex shedding (stream wise direction), can't this allow me to use periodicity? or the span wise frequency might affect that?

Also, i cannot do the simulation twice! one for the complete one and one for the quarter section and compare because of the enormous time consumed in each. i use 3 million cell resolution in only quarter section which takes along 5 days to complete one integral time (time of flow to enter and exit the domain once).

By the way, the combustor diameter is 110 mm. i use 220 cell in the cross-stream direction and 60 cells in span wise direction. this grid is totally uniform and structural grid with spatial step of 0.5 mm in both stream wise and cross stream directions. the grid as i said is more coarse in span wise direction to reduce computational cost. this gives me y+ of 50 near the wall and the effective DES length scale (by fluent) is positive every where except near the wall. am i ok with this grid? i know that the grid shall be refined near the shear layer down stream the dump plane of the combustor but i couldn't do this due to meshing difficulties so is this grid is ok?